When Heaven and Hell Collide
by Nicole Gabrielle
Summary: When Violet Marie Horvath meets Daryl Dixon during the zombie apocalypse, she experiences love for the first time. However, love in a time like this is certainly not an easy thing. For their relationship is Heaven, but they are living in a world better known as Hell. (DARYL/OC)
1. Chapter 1

As I looked into the mirror, I found myself unable to recognize the stranger staring back at me. I knew her name – Violet Marie Horvath – but I did not know her. She had been through so much over the past few years, and the peaceful aura of innocent youth that she had once possessed was now gone. She had lost her mother to cancer, and in turn she had lost everything she once knew; hope included. They say that the experiences that don't kill you make you stronger, but I'd beg to differ. Mine had tore me apart, and I was only just beginning to piece myself back together and find myself and my place in the world.

I sighed, and pushed my chocolate brown locks out of my face as I attempted to fix my appearance. My emerald green eyes that were all too similar to my mother's were shining bright, and I forced a small smile onto my face before tearing myself away from my reflection.

I pushed the door to the small RV bathroom open, and carefully made my way back up to the front. I sat down in the passenger seat and peeked over at the kind old man who was driving - my father.

"How's the sky looking?" I asked casually.

"No better than it did an hour ago, unfortunately. There's a storm coming." He paused, looking over at me with a small smile, "Nothing we can't handle though."

I laughed lightly, and leaned back against my seat. I had always admired my father's optimism despite the situation. When my mother was dying, he dragged her around to every doctor, swearing that she could and would be cured. Of course, she hadn't been, but she had saved us in her own way. She had told us to go on the adventure of our lives, to appreciate life and its un-expectancy, and to grow closer together as father and daughter.

"Are you thinking about her?"

My father's passive voice tore me from my thoughts, and I became aware that my eyes were glistening with tears. I quickly wiped them away and looked out the window.

"Yeah." I replied simply. "I miss her every day."

"As do I." He cleared his throat, and then pressed on. "She'd be proud of us…doing what she said to – going on an adventure."

I smiled. "Who knew she'd still be bossing us around and telling us what to do even after she passed?"

He chuckled. "That certainly sounds like your mother."

I watched as we drove past countless trees, all of which were starting to adopt the beautiful fall colours.

"Where are we heading anyway?"

"Wherever the road takes us, I suppose." He quickly looked to the map that was sprawled out between us. "We're getting close to Atlanta."

I nodded, already thinking ahead. "We should stock up on food before we head further out in the country. I doubt there will be many stores out that way."

"Sounds like a good plan to me." He looked over at me and smiled widely before turning back to face the road. "Why don't you put on some nice tunes?"

I grinned, and leaned forward to switch the radio on. "I guess I should have prepared a road-trip playlist. Campfire songs and all."

"I brought along your old guitar, maybe you could give me a few live performances."

"As long as you don't mind your ears bleeding. It's been a while."

He chuckled. "You were always my little performer. I remember when we used to go and see you in your school plays…it doesn't seem that long ago."

"Yeah…not long ago at all, Dad. Only about fifteen years! That's hardly anything." I joked.

"I guess I'm getting old." He laughed, "Say, what happened to you and acting? I thought you were shooting for the stars…Hollywood…Broadway…." He trailed off.

I sighed. "I guess life happened."

He snorted, and shook his head. "How deep. What do you mean by that?"

"Well…I suppose everything that happened with Mum just kind of threw my off track…" I swallowed, fighting back the tears that so desperately wanted to spill, "I'm not too upset about it though. I want to travel."

He looked over at me curiously, as if urging me to continue.

"I want to live life to the fullest. The way Mum always wanted me to. I want to experience the world, and I want to do it with you."

"I don't think I could have asked for a better daughter, Violet." He sighed, reaching over to rub my shoulder comfortingly.

I smiled softly. "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, Kiddo."

I kicked off my shoes and got comfortable in my seat. With the calming sounds of the folk music coming from the radio, and the relaxing movement of the RV, I eventually drifted into a peaceful sleep. It didn't seem like I was out for long, and I found myself quite surprised when I felt my Dad gently shaking me awake. I glanced out the window and saw darkness, and realized I was asleep for longer than I thought.

"What's happening?" I mumbled groggily, rubbing at the corners of my eyes.

"I don't know, but it doesn't look good."

The concern that was laced in my father's voice worried me, and I instantly straightened up and started to look around. We appeared to be on the road entering Atlanta, but the streets were swarmed with cars and people rushing around.

"What the…." I stood from my seat and craned my head out the window, attempting to get a better look at what was happening. I sat back down in shock as several helicopters flew overhead and towards the city.

"I don't like the looks of this, Dad. I think we better get out of here."

"I couldn't agree more. Take the map, Violet. Try and find us an alternate route."

I snatched up the map and quickly scanned the area. There seemed to be only one alternate road, which would take us in the direction of a large conservation site and protected forest.

"Right here, Dad!" I exclaimed quickly, thrusting the map back in his direction, "There's a turn-off just up ahead. I think we should take it."

"I think you're right." He paused, attempting to maneuver around the stopped vehicle in front of us, "Do you mind grabbing me a bottle of water from the back? I'm parched."

"Yeah, no problem."

I made my way to the back of the RV where the small fridge was situated and popped it open. I grabbed two waters, and started to head back towards the front when I was thrown off balance and fell to the ground.

"Everything okay?" I called out, quickly standing back up and brushing the dirt off my jeans.

My Dad shouted back, sounding more worried than before. "Fine! We're headed down the alternate ro-"

His voice was cut off by a shrill scream. I dropped the waters in surprise, and rushed back up to the front. I didn't see anything at first, but I quickly spotted two women in the road just ahead of us, fighting off what seemed to be a larger man.

"Dad! Watch out!"

"Hold on, Violet!"

I clutched onto the passenger seat for dear life, but still toppled off of it when he slammed on the breaks and the RV pulled to a harsh and sudden stop. I looked back out the front windshield, my heart beating in fear. The older looking of the two women was now attempting to fight off the man, but she didn't seem to be having much luck.

"I've got to help them." I said, not bothering to think twice.

I dashed towards the RV door, grabbing one of the kitchen knifes from the counter, just in case.

"Violet!" My Dad protested, starting to follow me as I flew out the door and towards the strangers.

"Hey, you!" I yelled, projecting my anger and fear towards the man. "Stay away from them!"

The man's head snapped up, and I stumbled back in fear. His face seemed to be ripped to pieces, and there was blood all over his clothing. I heard my Dad let out a ragged breath behind me.

"What in the name of…"

I shook my head in disbelief, and lunged forward, placing myself between the man and the two women. The smaller of the two looked up at me, her face showing absolute horror.

"H-He…I d-don't think he's al-live."

"That's impossible…" I trailed off, not sure what to believe.

"We saw him rip another lady to pieces." The older of the two cried out, "There's something not right here!"

I held the knife that I had grabbed closer to me, but my attention was drawn away from the man when I heard my Dad yelling.

"We need to get out of here! Bring those two and run!"

I nodded in understanding, and slid the knife into my pocket before grabbing the other girls and pulling them towards the RV. They didn't object, and I figured they were probably to shocked to do so. We jumped into the RV as my Dad started it up, and raced down the dark road, and away from the strange man. I looked back up at the two women, finally able to see them clearly in the light. They both had light blonde hair and brilliant blue eyes, and I could immediately tell they were related.

"What the hell was that thing?" I asked shakily.

The older looking women shook her head slowly. "I'm not sure, but you saved us from it. Thank you."

"Don't mention it." I paused, taking a second to compose myself. "I'm Violet. That's my Dad, Dale." I said, gesturing towards the front of the RV.

"Andrea." The older one responded simply, her eyebrows knitting together. "Do you mind if I sit?" She gestured to the kitchen table and bench seats.

"Go right ahead." I followed her, joining her at the table.

As the younger teenage looking girl sat down, she stared at me. "I'm Amy. Thank you…for…" She shuddered, clearly not wanting to think about the man.

"It was nothing, really. Why were you two out in that deserted road anyway?"

Andrea piped up, sounded a little calmer than before. "Our car broke down. As soon as those freaks came out, we got out of the city. We didn't make it too far though."

My Dad spoke up from the front of the RV, clearly having been listening in. "What do you mean by 'those freaks'?"

"The biters…or at least that's what Amy called them. It was like they came out of nowhere…they…t-they started eating people."

My eyes widened. "What the hell is happening out there…"

We all looked out the window, taking in the unbelievable sight. It was as if we were in a horror movie. Emergency vehicles could be heard in the distance, and screams continued to pierce the air.

"I've never seen anything like this…" Andrea murmured.

"I don't think any of us have." I responded, still unable to get a firm grasp on reality, "What do you reckon is happening?"

"I think I know." Amy said, finally speaking up in a small voice. "This is the Apocalypse."


	2. Chapter 2

"Do you have any fours?" I asked lazily.

Amy smiled. "Go fish."

"I can't believe we have to resort to playing 'Go Fish'." Andrea joked as I picked up from the stack of cards, "What has the world come to?"

Amy laughed, and then turned towards her sister seriously. "Do you have any kings?"

Andrea sighed, and handed over the card. Amy beamed, and set the pair down among the many others she had collected.

"Are you cheating, Amy?" I laughed. "Honestly. Andrea and I don't have a pair yet."

"Nope! I'm just way better than you guys!"

We laughed, and I directed my attention to the front of the RV when I heard my Dad speak up.

"Violet, do you mind coming up here? I need help reading the map."

"Sure thing!" I called back. I stood from the table, folding my cards down carefully. "No cheating while I'm gone, Amy!"

She laughed loudly, and I made my way up to the front of the RV, looking out the windows as I did so. A few days had passed since the supposed 'Apocalypse' had started, and we had seen a lot. From what we had discovered, the strange man we had encountered many nights ago was indeed not alive. He was more or less a zombie, having been reanimated and brought back from the dead, with a thirst for blood. At first we had hoped there would be an immediate cure, but it didn't seem as if that were happening anytime soon. We tried our best to find working radio stations and broadcasts, and from what we heard, the numbers of human survivors were dwindling. There were broadcasted warnings to stay away from these 'zombies', or biters, as we liked to call them, for if you were to be bit or scratched, you would turn into one of them also. Despite the smiles that masked all of our faces, we were all terrified.

"What's up?" I asked my Dad, as I plopped down in the passenger seat and pulled the map towards me.

"Well, I didn't want to announce this and freak you all out, but I think we're lost."

I chuckled nervously, and looked outside to observe our surroundings. "Yeah…it looks like we're in the middle of nowhere."

I jumped in surprise when I heard Andrea speak up from directly behind me. "Perhaps its best that way. The biters may not venture out this far."

"Very true," My Dad responded, a look of concentration on his face. "I don't know how long we can fend for ourselves out here though. Our food supplies are running low."

I sighed, massaging my temples in frustration. As soon as we had found out what had happened to the world, I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but that didn't mean I was ready for it to be so hard. None of us were.

"Look!" Amy exclaimed, obviously having come up to the front in order to join the conversation also, "Up ahead in the road there! What is that?"

I squinted in the direction that Amy pointed, and tried to make out the large mass. My Dad slowed the RV to a cautious pace, and eventually we edged close enough to get a better look.

"It's a truck…abandoned or broke down, I'd bet." Andrea muttered.

"Do you think there are any supplies inside?" Amy asked hopefully.

"I doubt it." I responded, cutting into their conversation. "Nobody would willingly leave food, or anything useful, behind."

"It also appears that it was never left behind." My dad added, causing us all to snap our heads back in the direction of the truck.

Sure enough, there was a young man standing near the hood of the truck, fiddling with the engine and probably trying to get it started. We unrolled the side window as we got closer, and the man spotted us, raising his hands in protective alarm.

"We mean no harm!" My dad yelled out carefully, "We just want to help."

The man sighed, and slowly lowered his hands with a frightened look in his eyes. His skin tone told me he was some sort of Asian descent, he had fairly long black hair, and looked no older than twenty-five. It took him a moment to speak up, as if he were scared to accept our help.

"The engine cut out. I'm on my way back to camp."

"Camp?" Amy pondered curiously.

"Yeah." He responded, looking directly at her, "We've got a camp without about ten survivors just up the way. If you can help me I'll take you there…we could probably use some helping hands."

"Awesome!" I exclaimed happily, finally feeling as if we had caught a break. "My Dad's really good with cars, I'm sure we can fix this truck pretty fast."

Without any more exchanges through the window, we all made our way towards the RV door. My Dad grabbed a toolset, and then exited, leaving the door open for us to follow. As I left, I heard a hushed conversation between Andrea and Amy.

"Amy…" She started, worry in her voice, "I want you to stay in the RV. We don't know what's out there."

There was a pause, in which I assumed Amy was giving her sister a defeated and possibly annoyed look, but it seemed as though she listened, because Andrea was standing behind me within a matter of seconds. I nodded at her, and tossed her a small smile before heading over to where my Dad and the man were talking.

"…I'm Dale, by the way." I caught my Dad saying as I approached, he looked at me, and then back to the man. "This is my daughter, Violet."

I heard Andrea shuffle awkwardly behind me. "I'm Andrea. My sisters in the RV…her name's Amy."

"It's nice to meet all of you." The man started, an honest looking grin playing at his face, "Believe me. You get pretty sick of seeing those biters after a while…it's good to see some friendly faces. I'm Glenn."

Eventually, we all fell into a comfortable silence as we worked on fixing the truck. Andrea and I stayed back a bit, figuring that my Dad would work better and fast without us. Instead, I focused my thoughts on what Glenn's camp may be like. I hoped the people would be friendly, and I definitely wouldn't complain if they had plenty of food to put on the table. I was quickly ripped away from these thoughts however, when Glenn spoke up awkwardly, breaking the silence.

"Have you guys…y'know…" He paused carefully, "Had to kill one yet?"

"No." I responded quickly, knowing that he was referring to the biters. "We've been lucky enough to not have to. I'm sure the day will come soon, though."

He nodded understandingly. Andrea looked at him with a peculiar look in her eyes.

"Have you?"

He gulped, and shifted his eyes around as if under pressure. "Yeah. It was kill or be killed."

My Dad stood up from working on the truck. "That sounds fair to me. The world's not how it used to be. We're all going to have to sacrifice a little bit of our innocence at one point or another. We just can't let this world take us down along with it."

Glenn nodded, and it was clear that he felt quite a bit better.

"Anyway," My Dad continued, rubbing his hands together and then wiping them on his pants. "I think this thing might be fixed. Why don't you try and get it started?"

Glenn ran around to the driver's side of the car and hopped in. He turned the key and the engine roared, putting a small smile back on his face.

"Great! Thanks!" He tilted his head out the window and looked around at us. "If you guys want to get back in your RV, you can follow me back to the camp."

We all hurried back to the RV, and took our seats as my Dad started it back up. Amy was happy that we were back and on the way to a supposedly safe camp, and didn't even complain about Andrea insisting she had to stay in the RV. Within a matter of minutes, we were making a sharp turn and heading up a gravel hill. I noticed a quarry off to the side, and laughed with Amy as she pointed it out excitedly, exclaiming how she couldn't wait to go swimming and wash off.

"Well," I said nervously as my Dad pulled to a stop, "Let's hope for the best, guys."

"No kidding." Andrea replied, already heading towards the door.

As soon as we got out of the RV, we were met by two young kids, probably not much older than ten. One was a boy with brown shaggy hair, and the other was a girl with short blonde hair. Even at first glance, I could tell there was no way they were related.

"Who are you?" The boy asked.

I smiled down at him. I had always had a soft spot for kids. "I'm Violet…and you are?"

"Carl Grimes." He answered simply.

"I'm Sophia." The girl piped up, looking rather shy as she clutched a doll close to her.

"It's nice to meet both of you."

When I looked back up, I noticed two older women hurrying towards me.

"Carl!" One of them exclaimed. She had long brown hair, and a motherly look to her. "What did I tell you about running off?"

"Sorry…" Carl mumbled lamely.

"Hi…" I started awkwardly, taking a step towards the two women. "I'm Violet Horvath."

"Oh yes…. I believe we just met your father, Dale." The one who had scolded Carl began. "I'm Lori, Carl's mother."

The other woman, who had short grey hair and soft blue eyes offered her hand out to me.

"I'm Carol - Sophia's mother. My husband Ed is over there."

She gestured back towards a fire pit near the center of their camp. I spotted an older and larger looking man sitting on a stump, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. I wasn't one to judge before knowing, but I couldn't help but think he didn't look too friendly. Not too far from him, I saw another family. They seemed to be separate from everyone else, which I thought was odd.

"That's the Morales family." Lori answered my unspoken question, having noticed where I was looking. "We have a few others…they seem to be scattered about."

"You guys seem to have a nice set up here." I commented politely.

"Glad you think so." Carol said, giving me a small smile. "You all seem very nice. Welcome to the camp…I suppose you could say it's home now."

"Thank you. It was getting a little tight in the RV." They laughed lightly, and I smiled. "If you don't mind, I'm just going to go talk to my Dad."

"Not at all, dear." Carol said simply, waving me off.

I strolled over to where my Dad was, and beamed at him once I stood in front of him.

"I think this is good for us, Dad. I like these people…they seem nice."

My Dad smiled. "I think anyone who doesn't have the intention of eating us seems nice – but you're right. I could see us settling in here."

I chuckled. "Where did Andrea and Amy head off to?"

"I think they went to wash off at the quarry. You should join them."

"Are you trying to tell me I smell bad?" I gasped jokingly.

He laughed. "You know what I meant…I think we should get their opinion on this place before we get too comfortable."

"That's probably a good idea." I agreed, "Well, I'll head down there now, then. See you in a bit!"

"Be careful!" He yelled to my retreating back.

I ran down the dirt hill that led to the quarry, being cautious not to slip as I did so. My combat boots slammed against the ground and made a crunching noise with every step. I had to admit that I was quite lucky in terms of clothing. Seeing as my Dad and I had planned a road trip, I had brought appropriate camping clothes, all of which I definitely needed now. I heard a splash and snapped myself away from my thoughts as I looked up. Amy appeared to have fallen into the water, and Andrea was laughing hysterically.

"How's the water, Amy?" I joked, now only a few feet away from them.

She clutched her clothes closer to her body and started to run out. "C-Cold!"

I laughed, and knelt down next to Andrea who was scrubbing her hands.

"What do you guys think of this place…and these people?" I asked casually.

Andrea smiled. "They seem nice. I think this is a good place to stay."

"Y-yeah, me t-too!" Amy chattered, causing us both to laugh again.

"Amy, you're going to get sick!" Andrea exclaimed, a hint of worry in her tone. I had to admit; I thought it was sweet how much she cared for her younger sister. "C'mon…we should go see if they have any blankets or towels."

Andrea grabbed Amy by the shoulders and started to steer her up the hill. "You coming, Violet?"

"Nah…" I submerged my hands into the water. "I'm going to wash up quickly, I'll be up in a bit."

I listened to the sound of their feet against the dirt as they walked away. I sighed, and looked up at the view in front of me. It was quite beautiful, but my stomach flipped at the idea that soon there may be few sights like this left. I shook my head, trying to rid the negative thoughts, and started to scrub at the dirt that was caked to my hands.

"Hey there, sweet thang."

I jumped, hearing a southern drawl from behind me. I quickly whipped around and stood, only to find myself facing a large man, with hardly any hair, and piercing blue eyes. He looked like trouble, and just him being there made me feel uncomfortable, but I tried to be polite nevertheless.

"Uh…. hello. I'm Violet." I extended my hand out.

"I want to touch a lot more than just yer hand, sugar tits. Merle's the name…I'm sure you'll be familiar with it soon enough."

I immediately stepped back, having to catch my balance as I teetered on the edge of the water. I glanced up the hill in fright, and was partially relieved to see that someone else was coming down. It was another man, with lots of brown hair and puppy-dog eyes to match, and he looked a lot friendlier.

"Merle! You harassing this girl?"

"Of course not…. we're just gettin' friendly… isn't that right, Violet?"

I cringed when he said my name, and the other man seemed to realize.

"Clear off, Merle. She's not interested."

I let out a sharp breath when Merle started to mumble profanities as he stomped away, and looked thankfully up into the face of this new man.

"Thanks. I don't believe we've met yet… I'm Violet."

"Shane." He said with a quick nod. "Don't let him get to you… he's like that with all the women… the sick bastard."

I half-heartedly smiled, and Shane continued. "Anyway, I think the ladies need help preparing dinner. Would you mind?"

"Not at all!" I answered quickly, wanting to repay him and do my fair share of work. "Where are they?"

"I'll bring you to them."

Without another word, Shane started to march up the hill. His good posture and position of his gun on his belt told me he was probably a cop, and I once again felt thankful for his presence. We needed people who were experienced with weapons in this new world, regardless of whether or not violence was liked.

Shane's voice called me back to reality. "Carol's right there. I'm sure she can tell you what they need helping with."

"Thanks."

I swiftly walked over to where Carol was drying dishes, and stopped in front of her.

"Hey," I greeted, "Shane told me you guys needed help with dinner."

"Oh, yes." She looked up at me, a small smile sitting on her face. "If you'd like to help me with these dishes that would be lovely. We'll have to prepare the meat soon."

I picked up a dishtowel without protest and started to help Carol. I wasn't usually great with small talk, but I figured I should make an attempt, as I was new to the camp.

"How are the kids holding up?"

She sighed. "As best they can, I suppose. Poor Carl has had a much harder time."

"Why's that?"

"He lost his dad before all this happened…. he was a sheriff along with Shane… from what I've heard, he got shot on the job and went into a coma." She replied sadly.

My mouth momentarily hung open in shock, and I quickly closed it. "Oh my... is Lori alright?"

"She seems to be doing fine."

Carol's tone suggested that there was a hidden meaning behind her words, but I didn't pry. I started to search for a new and happier source of small talk, but was interrupted by a booming southern voice echoing throughout camp.

"Got us some dinner! It's not much, but I don't see y'all gettin' off yer asses."

I thought this comment was a little harsh, but I still had to stifle my laughter at the shocked looks on several people's faces. With a small smirk on my face, I resumed drying the dishes. Within a few seconds, I heard a loud thump and turned around to see several dead squirrels lying on the table.

"Looks…. delicious." I managed.

I looked up into the face of the man who had dropped the squirrels in this spot. I immediately took note of his ocean blue eyes, and shaggy brown hair. He had a rough look to him, and for some reason I doubted he looked much different before the world went to shit. He looked at me oddly, and then spoke up.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Violet Horvath."

I offered him my hand, but he didn't shake it. Instead, he made a strange noise in the back of his throat, looked me up and down once, and then stomped away. I widened my eyes in surprise, and then turned back towards Carol.

"Who was that?"

"Daryl – Daryl Dixon. Merle's brother."

I nodded slowly, and allowed my eyes to follow him as he walked in the direction of a tent, which I assumed was his. Eventually, I tore my eyes away and looked out at the rest of the camp. It was an interesting first day, but I had to admit, I was sure as hell glad to be there.


	3. Chapter 3

I awoke to the light shining in through the thin blinds covering the RV window. I slowly sat up and stretched, looking around as I did so. Amy and Andrea had borrowed a tent from the Morales family, so my Dad and I had slept in the RV without them. He was currently nowhere to be seen, and I assumed he was already up and moving around; he had always been an early riser.

After pulling on a pair of jeans and a plaid flannel, I headed outside. I shielded my eyes from the bright sun as I walked towards the crowd of people huddling around a small fire.

"Good morning, Violet." Lori said politely as I sat down next to her.

"Morning, everyone."

I smiled appreciatively at Carol when she came over and passed me a plate with a few sausages and an egg.

"Have you seen my Dad?" I asked casually, noticing that he wasn't present.

A tiny African-American woman pointed back in the direction of the RV as she nibbled on a piece of toast. I had met her briefly last night, and knew that her name was Jacqui. She stood next to another darker skinned man, who had been introduced to me as T-Dog. I doubted that was his real name, but everyone seemed to call him it anyway. I smiled politely at both of them, and followed Jacqui's gaze.

Sure enough, my Dad had climbed up on top of the RV, and was sitting on a lawn chair with a rifle settled in his hands as he looked out at the horizon. I chuckled to myself as I finished my food, and then made my way over to him.

I started to climb up the ladder attached to the RV, and spoke as I did so. "Hey Dad…what are you up to?"

"Hey, Kiddo." He turned slightly so that he was facing me. "Shane wanted someone to keep watch for biters…or walkers as they call them. We thought this would be a good spot."

"It's beautiful up here…" I murmured, taking a moment to admire the view. The sun had finished rising and was resting atop the mountain that surrounded us. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, despite the chilling breeze.

"How'd you sleep?" My Dad asked, regaining my attention.

"Amazing," I smiled, "I feel safe here."

"I'm glad to hear that. I feel the same way."

We drifted into a comfortable silence, and remained that way for several minutes. Although our road trip had been cut short and had not been what we were expecting, I was still glad that I was able to be with my Dad, and share moments like this with him.

"I think I'm going to go out and collect some firewood." I said after a while, breaking the silence. "I want to do my part around here and I noticed they were running low."

"That's a good idea, Violet, but-"

"Dad." I groaned, "Please don't tell me it's not safe. I can handle myself."

"I know you can." He replied simply. "But I still worry about you…I want you to take a weapon with you, alright?"

"Okay…" I said slowly, "What, though? I don't think I can protect myself with a butter knife."

My Dad chuckled, and then bent down so that he could reach for something lying under his seat. When he straightened back up, I was surprised to see he was holding a machete.

"Jim gave it to me," He explained, seeing the confusion on my face. I hadn't met Jim yet, but I knew he was a member of the camp. "He noticed we didn't have any weapons and passed on a few of his own."

I nodded, and stepped forward to grab the machete.

"I'm not going to lecture you about being safe," My Dad continued, "You're twenty-five years old…you're not my little girl anymore."

"Dad…" I started, feeling slightly emotional now. "I'm always going to be your little girl. I just don't want you to be constantly worrying about me – I'll be okay."

"Worrying is a parent's favourite pastime." He laughed, "Just come back in one piece."

I smiled wholeheartedly and moved forward to kiss him on the cheek. He gave me a small grin as I retreated down the ladder and off towards the woods. After carefully sliding the machete into my belt loop, I walked around and collected kindling. I started to head back when I realized I couldn't carry anymore, but stopped suddenly when I spotted a patch of blueberries off to the side. Figuring that I could put them in my pockets, I set aside the kindling and stooped down to the ground level and began to pick them. Once I had gathered almost all of the berries, the sound of a stick snapping behind me startled me. I stood up and spun around quickly, only to find myself face to face with a crossbow. Without even thinking, I pushed the bow out of my face, and kneed my attacker in the groin.

"What the hell are you playin' at, woman?"

My heart sunk as I realized whom my attacker was – Daryl. He doubled over in pain, and I felt a sudden surge of anger rush through me.

"What the hell am I playing at?" I scoffed, "You're the one who snuck up on me and pointed a crossbow in my face!"

"I thought ye were a walker!" He defended, glaring up at me menacingly.

I sighed in frustration, knowing deep down that it was an honest mistake.

"Look," I started, "I'm sorry, okay? You just startled me."

He slowly stood up with a look of discomfort on his face. "Why the hell were ye out here all alone anyway?"

"I was tired of sitting around and doing nothing at camp." I snapped, not liking the tone of his voice, "I came out here to gather some wood…I had stopped to pick some berries when you tried to attack me!"

His deep blue eyes stared into my green ones, and he quickly tore his gaze away as he mumbled something unintelligible.

I placed my hands on my hips and glared at him. "Aren't you going to apologize for nearly killing me?"

He snorted. "Yer a bossy bitch, aren't ye?"

I smirked. "That sounds about right."

To my surprise, the corners of Daryl's lips twitched upwards, and it was clear he was trying to hide a smile.

"I'm sorry, ye Royal Highness."

I laughed, and then bent back down to recollect the kindling and berries I had dropped. Without sending another glance in Daryl's direction, I started to head back in the direction I came.

"Where are ye going now?" He called after me.

I paused, and turned back to face him. "Back to camp…you coming?"

"I'm going hunting. I'll be gone for some days."

"Oh." I said simply, unsure of what to say. "Well…be safe."

He smirked slightly. "I don't need yer well-wishing. I'll be fine."

I smiled, and raised my hand in goodbye as I continued to walk back to camp. Although he had almost killed me, I had to admit, Daryl seemed like a good guy. He was definitely closed off and preferred to keep his feelings hidden though, and I couldn't help but wonder why. By the time I had made it back to camp, my thoughts had left Daryl and were more focused on my hunger, and wondering what we would be preparing for dinner. Glenn raced towards me as I walked towards the fire pits, and I looked up in surprise.

Once he reached me, he started taking some kindling out of my arms. "Looked like you needed some help."

I beamed appreciatively up at him. "Thanks! I don't know how much longer I could have held all that."

"Don't mention it." We dumped some kindling next to each of the pits, and then he resumed speaking. "I think we're making a run into the city tomorrow…you need anything?"

"Not really…" I wiped the dirt off my arms, "What are you guys going in for?"

"Medicine, food, water…anything, really. We're running low on supplies in general."

I frowned. "Oh. Mind if I come with you guys?"

Glenn raised his eyebrows. "Seriously? You want to come?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Er, nothing…I just figured that, you know-"

"You figured that I'd want to stay back and do house chores like the rest of the women?" I asked, finishing his sentence for him. "Not really my thing. So can I come or what?"

Glenn simply smiled at me. "You're bold, you know that?" He paused as I raised my eyebrows in question, "I like it…admire it, really. I'm sure you can come; Shane's over by the trucks organizing things now if you want to go ask him."

"Thanks." I said honestly, appreciating the compliment he had given me. "I'll go do that now."

As I headed over to the truck that Shane was standing by, I wasn't surprised to see T-Dog and Merle there also. However, I didn't expect to see Andrea huddled there also. When I approached, I entered mid-conversation.

"…Glenn can lead you to this building," Shane was saying, the authority thick in his tone, "He used to live and work in the city, so he knows the way around better than all of us."

Merle grumbled some racist slurs at the mention of Glenn and I took my chance to speak up.

"I want to come tomorrow."

Shane looked up, and it was clear that he was taken aback. "I don't know if that's a good ide-"

Andrea cut him off. "Why not? Tell us why." She turned to face me. "He doesn't want me to go either."

Merle and T-Dog both retreated, perhaps sensing a fight coming.

"I just don't think it's a good idea." Shane said firmly, as if that answered our questioning. "Can't y'all just stay back with all the other women? Hell, I'm not even going in tomorrow."

"I think I know what your problem is, Shane." I stated bluntly, causing him to raise him eyebrows. "You think we're not capable because we're women. Glenn was thinking the same thing earlier, and I know it."

Shane raised his hands defensively. "Hey now, I never said that…"

"Than let us come and prove our worth." I snapped as Andrea nodded in agreement.

He sighed, and massaged his temples, likely out of frustration. "Fine. Suit yourselves. Glenn wants to leave bright and early tomorrow, so be ready."

Andrea nodded determinedly. "We will be."

Once Shane had walked away, I smiled triumphantly at Andrea.

"Men." She spat the word dramatically, causing us both to laugh. "They expect us to stay in the kitchen and make them sandwiches even though the world's ended."

I joked with her, but when she left to go help Amy with things, I found my way down to the quarry and sat there alone. The sun beat down on me as I dipped my feet into the water, and I couldn't help but feel as if I were on vacation. It was a beautiful day, and I only hoped that things would be that way tomorrow, when we risked out lives and ventured into the city.


End file.
